


Two Kinds of People

by stressfuldreaming



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: M/M, caring Ronald, growing relationship, healthy relationship, mention of potatoes, stressed William
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 01:13:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13447383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stressfuldreaming/pseuds/stressfuldreaming
Summary: William neglects himself due to paperwork and overtime. Luckily there's an unruly blonde reaper to help out.





	Two Kinds of People

It was turning out to be a normal workday for a one overworked and frankly frustrated William T. Spears. There seemed to be no clear end to the gradually increasing paperwork. Reports, expenses, files scattered around his spacious office. If he was in his right frame of mind he would be appalled at the state he allowed himself to slip into, but he could only work off of coffee and small vending machine snacks for so long.

 

Of course, his dazed mind refused to focus on the expense reports that sat in front of him intended for the for the senior reaper's scythe upgrades. The images of the paper turning to blurred mud in a coffee-filled brain. Now William himself had never seen much need for lavish upgrades, preferring himself to stick with his reliable pruning spear. It was lightweight, long-ranged, and loyal. It had gotten him out of some sticky situations against demons and angels alike and it molded into a seemingly perfect extension of himself. William allowed himself a glance at his precious death-machine that leaned longingly against the wood of his desk, almost in the same perfect condition as when he first got it; save for a change in a more cushioned grip and a swap for the bottom blades after an angel wing had embedded itself in the previous sharp teeth.

 

William finally mustered up the willpower to glance back at the reports that plagued his mind. His eyes wandered over the usual: Slingby sent in a request for a sharpening, Grell intended to replace a few of the teeth on their scythe's lasting chain. _Honestly_ , he thought to himself, _how do they both get anything done lugging those monstrosities around_. But the worst was to come as his eyes glanced toward a more surprising and lavish request. "New blades, new motor, a new chain system, new intact handlebar". William mentally rolled his eyes as he connected the request with the name. _Knox_. The boy had barely been a senior reaper for a year and already destroyed his scythe to the point of almost a full renewal. He couldn’t say he was surprised with the complications the younger reaper had. After all, it was a large piece of machinery that constantly seemed to be unreliable in the heat of battle, either through breaking down or thrown into overdrive dragging its owner in the process. Though the thought that it could spell danger for Knox left William with a bitter taste in his mouth. _I must have a talk with that boy about safety and proper handling._ This was purely for practical reasons. They were understaffed as is and losing an able-bodied reaper in the line of duty would spell distress and overtime for him and his department both of which he wished to avoid. Thoughts of more overtime on top of his already extra four hours he has been clocked in spurred a vicious headache.

 

In an attempt to quell the pounding, he brought his hand up to his head and seemed content to lay against it until a quiet knock sounded at his door. William immediately shot up and eyed the door curiously while clutching his trusted spear in his hands. No one should still be in the office except for the supervisor and especially not at this late hour, and William shivered to think the odds of this trespasser having nefarious intentions were high. "Come in" he rasped out quickly, planting his feet ready and apart in case of a need for attack.

 

Suddenly a mob of blonde and black hair poked his head in the door and Williams initial tenseness eased away as he eyed up the young intruder. "Knox, what do you require?" It came out more irritated then he intended and William silently reprehended himself for allowing himself to drop the professional aura he always sported in the office.

 

"I just came by to grab my keys I left here in my rush. Imagine my surprise once I got home and couldn’t get in my apartment." Ronald started to ramble on and spill his thoughts. Not that it bothered William much, a little conversation could wake him up and keep him rejuvenated. Ronald went on with a wave of his hand "Ha, it’s a good thing they're here and not in some stingy pub. I know Eric's cool with me crashing on his couch on these type of nights but I know Alan doesn't appreciate it one bit."

 

"That is odd I always imagined Humphries was the type to welcome anyone with open arms" William responded thinking _And Slingby always seemed to be standoffish._

 

"Who, Alan? Nah he's very understanding but I know he hates anything taking time away from his lover" there was a small pause before he began again "Don’t let him know that I told you but Eric's actually a big teddy bear when it comes to those close to him" the younger finished in a mock whisper behind his hand.

 

William rose his eye in amusement at the blonde's antics. "but now that you have obtained back your keys, I bid goodnight to you" he started to shuffle papers around nervously as he felt vibrant green eyes land on him. _The lack of sleep must be getting to my head_.

 

"Pardon me for asking sir but" Ronald took a nervous breath "have you been here all night?" a form of concern lacing his voice.

 

"Yes, I am this division's supervisor and must stay to see that all work is completed" William relayed the worst part of his job description and lifted his head to the young reckless being that stood in front of him.

 

"But Boss it's nearing eleven" William's eyes darted to the clock and sure enough the hands were at precisely 10:46.

 

William's face dropped a bit, twisting into a slight frown. "Ah, yes so it seems".

 

The younger reaper looked at William with an eyebrow raised and worry now heavy in his voice "Have you like left this office at all? Even just to grab a bite to eat?"

 

William was about to retort back when his body betrayed him and his stomach growled fiercely.

 

"I'mma take that as a no Boss" Ronald quipped knowingly as he slid closer to the cluttered desk. The blonde's arm wrapped around William's and tugged slightly. "Up ya go, you workaholic"

 

"Knox, what in blazes are you doing?"  William asked pointedly staring down at the arm that linked itself with his own.

 

"Listen Boss I know we're technically immortal but you look near ready to drop dead" Ronald responded with a mischievous yet unwavering tone while giving a small tug.

 

 William stared deadpan at the younger reaper as he spoke with annoyance "And how exactly does pulling on my arm help rectify that?"

 

"'Cause we're going to get some food in you" Ronald stated as if he has just explained to a child what two plus two was.

 

"As you can plainly see I have a plethora of paperwork to complete and thus have no time for such leisure"

 

"But wouldn't it be beneficial to finish the paperwork with a fuller belly and mind rather than risk messing something up and having to redo it?" Ronald responded with a testing smirk cornering her lips.

 

"Yes that does make sense but I fear at this rate I shall not complete this by the morning shift and have already wasted valuable time conversing with you." He allowed himself a small glace at the clock now showing 10:49.

 

"Well, I can help with some of the workload" Ronald offered sheepishly looking around at the stacks of paperwork.

 

"Agent Knox, it takes threats of overtime for you to finish your own paperwork." postulated William with a firm look knowing fully aware of how much the blonde favored to screw off.

 

"Yes that is true but you look like you could the help, Boss. But first a good sandwich" Ronald pulled William out of his office and the door closed behind them.

\---

_This place isn't so bad_ William thought as he looked down at the food that just arrived. Ronald had dragged him to a small diner that was about a block from their place of work. Apparently the blonde liked to frequently drag his dates to this same establishment after work. The small rye sandwich and the accompanying baked potato seemed to be staring him down as if daring him to draw parallels between Knox's conquests and this encounter. Trying to block such thoughts he took his first bite of the sandwich, which was more vicious then he had intended.

 

"And like let me tell ya this soul did not want to be reaped, pulled the blades right out of my beauty" Ronald exasperated with a mime-like pulling as he recounts the events that led to his lavish request of new parts for his scythe.

 

William allowed a small breath "I'm grateful the soul did nothing to your person" His mind traveled back to when Thomas' records had entered him. _The most terrifying moment of my afterlife._

 

"Nah Boss, got out of it unscathed, not a scratch on me" his words were punctuated by Ronald whipping a pair of finger guns at his William. The older of the reapers lifted an eyebrow at his companion and the blonde put his hands down with a blush as he attended to his own sandwich.

 

The two sat in a comfortable silence in the nearly empty diner both silently munching on their respective meals. Some time passed and William realized how much of a toll he was putting on his body. His eyelids felt heavy and dreaded the impending workload that was yet to be complete. Though his thoughts

 

"I suppose this should be sufficient for me to get the workload done" William smirked down at his now empty plate containing only the skin of the baked potato.

 

Suddenly Ronald's face contorted into something usually unseen upon the young Reaper's face as he spoke. His face displayed a sort of compassion and understanding; his lips creased into a genuine smile, strictly contrasting the aloof grin Ronald often wore around the office as he flirted and went about his business collecting souls without a care in the world. It filled William up with a small sense of pride. _Perhaps there is something of a mature reaper under there._

 

 "Ya know Boss, its ok to need the potato sometimes"

 

William's eyes snapped wide and his head tilted in a sense of utter confusion; his mouth opened ready to respond but no words seemed to come out. It took a lot to catch the strict supervisor off guard and leave him utterly speechless, and there this younger reaper was doing it almost effortlessly by just letting his mind wander and his mouth talk. Though William did take a moment to question his earlier statement on maturity.

 

Ronald must have caught on to William's confused expression and he scrambled to reiterate what he meant to say. "What I mean is that I like to believe there are two kinds of people in this world. Well I mean they take on roles in a single moment. Those who give to those in need in and those who take what is given when they need it. Not to say those same people can't give as well as receive but I mean" Ronald took a deep breath and paused as if weighing his next words with the mass of the world.

 

"What I ultimately mean is that it's okay. It's okay to need to lean on someone when you need to. It doesn’t make you less of who you are. We all struggle sometimes, but the point is we don’t have to struggle alone" Ronald reached out and rested his hand gently on his companion's stiff shoulder and felt William relax under the touch. "It may not seem like much but you have me. You have Alan and Eric. Hell, even Grell can be a great source of comfort when they need to be. Just know you can lean on us when you need to and we will be there."

 

Ronald dropped his hand and offered another genuine smile as he moved to stand out of the booth. "Now I believe there are a few documents back at the office calling both our names" He spoke as he threw money down on the table and started to strut away from the table.

 

William stood up gingerly and shot his hand to Ronald's effectively keeping him in place. The younger reaper turned toward him with a concerned stare.

 

"It will still be there in the morning" William spoke as he dropped Ronald's hand tenderly. He allowed his thoughts to drift to his drained feeling and the ache in his muscles that were just calling to lay on something soft if only for a small while. "It would be beneficial for both us and the paperwork if we replenished with some sleep before tackling the rest" He fought to keep his voice tight. His mouth threatened to break a small grin as he saw a warm light catch in the younger's eyes.

 

"Whatever you say Boss" Ronald spoke content to let himself celebrate the small victory in silence "though we should get out of here and let these poor workers go home"

 

William glanced around at the poor waitress pushing aside tables, though some force made him wish to stay here with Ronald rather than the sleep he desperately deserved. "I agree" William spoke and proceeded to walk out trailing slightly behind his younger companion.

 

They exited the glass doors of the diner and turned toward each other an unspoken agreement between them.

 

"Well my apartment's this way, so I guess see ya tomorrow Boss" Ronald slowly turned and seem to hide his face down masking a feeling.

 

"Knox" William spoke in the most authoritative tone he could muster and that caused the blonde to spin quickly on his toes to stare his supervisor in the face.

 

Something cracked and the wall went down. The corners of William's mouth lifted into a wide smile.

 

"Thank you for being the potato"

 

Ronald's nervous breathing morphed into a small chuckle which quickly turned into a quiet snort as he doubled over. "So the hard-ass Mr. Spears can actually make a joke" Ronald managed to spit out as he regained his composure a hint of pink dusted his cheeks.

 

"So it seems he can" William acknowledged softly "Get a good night of sleep tomorrow, I believe we will have our hands full in the morning with paperwork"

 

Ronald's laugh came to an abrupt stop and his made his face into a small pout "I'm going to regret offering to help; aren’t I?"

 

William's smile stayed strong "no doubt, but none the less" his eyes connected with Ronald as if conveying words not meant to be said out loud "it was a considerate gesture"

 

"Maybe I should forget my keys more often then," Ronald said spinning around on his heal and sauntering down the sidewalk in a joyous leap.

 

"Maybe you should" William whispered under his breath so softly he might of well not said it out loud. But then again admitting it was half the battle. Thus when William finally collapsed into bed, sinking down into the sheet his last thoughts rang loud in his mind:

 

_I suppose there are two kinds of people in this world: those who are the potatoes in our lives, and those who are lucky enough to have them._

**Author's Note:**

> Please give a comment for suggestions and if you wish to see more content!


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